[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10096 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10096
To establish the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing
Crisis, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 13, 2026
Mr. Lawler (for himself, Mr. Peters, Ms. Salazar, and Ms. Friedman)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Financial Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing
Crisis, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Task Force on the Impact of the
Affordable Housing Crisis Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE OF TASK FORCE.
The purpose of this Act is to establish the Task Force on the
Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis, which shall--
(1) evaluate and quantify the impact that a lack of
affordable housing has on other areas of life and life
outcomes;
(2) evaluate and quantify the costs incurred by other
Federal, State, and local programs due to a lack of affordable
housing; and
(3) make recommendations to Congress on how to use
affordable housing to improve the effectiveness of other
Federal programs and improve life outcomes.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Affordable housing.--
(A) In general.--The term ``affordable housing''
means--
(i) housing for which the household is
required to pay not more than 30 percent of the
household income for gross housing costs,
including utilities, where such income is less
than or equal to the area median income for the
municipality in which the housing is located,
as determined by the Secretary; and
(ii) housing--
(I) for which the household pays
more than 30 percent of the household
income for gross housing costs,
including utilities, where such income
is less than or equal to the area
median income for the municipality in
which the housing is located, as
determined by the Secretary; and
(II) that is assisted or considered
affordable by the Department of Housing
and Urban Development, including--
(aa) public housing;
(bb) housing assisted under
section 8(o) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 1437f(o));
(cc) housing receiving the
low-income housing credit under
section 42 of the Internal
Revenue Code; and
(dd) housing assisted under
other Federal or local housing
programs serving households
with incomes at or below 80
percent of the area median
income or providing services or
amenities that will primarily
be used by low-income housing.
(B) Application.--The definition in subparagraph
(A) shall apply to Federal, State, and local affordable
housing programs.
(2) Low-income housing; public housing.--The terms ``low-
income housing'' and ``public housing'' have the meanings given
those terms in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act of
1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Housing and Urban Development.
(4) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the Task
Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis
established under section 4(a).
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF TASK FORCE.
(a) Establishment.--There is established a bipartisan task force to
be known as the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing
Crisis.
(b) Membership.--
(1) Composition.--The Task Force shall be composed of 18
members, of whom--
(A) 1 member shall be appointed by the Majority
Leader of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, who shall serve as co-chair of the
Task Force;
(B) 1 member shall be appointed by the Minority
Leader of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the
House of Representatives, who shall serve as co-chair
of the Task Force;
(C) 4 members shall be appointed by the Majority
Leader of the Senate;
(D) 4 members shall be appointed by the Minority
Leader of the Senate;
(E) 4 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives; and
(F) 4 members shall be appointed by the Minority
Leader of the House of Representatives.
(2) Criteria.--Each member of the Task Force shall be an
academic researcher, an expert in a field or policy area
related to the purpose of the Task Force, or an individual who
has experience with government programs related to the purpose
of the Task Force.
(3) Additional staff.--The co-chairs of the Task Force may
appoint and fix the pay of additional staff to the Task Force.
(4) Detailees.--Any Federal Government employee may be
detailed to the Task Force without reimbursement from the Task
Force, and the detailee shall retain the rights, status, and
privileges of his or her regular employment without
interruption.
(5) Compensation of members.--Members of the Task Force may
be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of business
in the performance of services for the Task Force.
(c) Timing of Appointments.--Appointments to the Task Force shall
be made not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this
Act.
(d) Period of Appointment; Vacancies.--
(1) In general.--A member of the Task Force shall be
appointed for the life of the Task Force.
(2) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Task Force--
(A) shall not affect the powers of the Task Force;
and
(B) shall be filled in the same manner as the
original appointment.
(e) Initial Meeting.--The Task Force shall meet not later than 30
days after the date on which a majority of the members of the Task
Force have been appointed.
(f) Meetings.--
(1) In general.--The Task Force shall meet at the call of
the co-chairs of the Task Force.
(2) Quorum.--A majority of the members of the Task Force
shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number of members may
hold hearings.
SEC. 5. DUTIES OF THE TASK FORCE.
(a) In General.--The Task Force shall utilize available survey and
statistical data related to the purpose of the Task Force to complete a
comprehensive report to--
(1) evaluate and quantify the impact that a lack of
affordable housing has on other areas of life and life outcomes
for individuals living in the United States, including--
(A) education;
(B) employment;
(C) income level;
(D) health;
(E) nutrition;
(F) access to transportation;
(G) the poverty level of the neighborhood in which
individuals live;
(H) regional economic growth;
(I) neighborhood and rural community stability and
revitalization; and
(J) other areas of life and life outcomes related
to the purpose of the Task Force necessary to complete
a comprehensive report;
(2) evaluate and quantify the costs incurred by other
Federal, State, and local programs due to a lack of affordable
housing; and
(3) make recommendations to Congress on how to use
affordable housing to improve the effectiveness of other
Federal programs and improve life outcomes for individuals
living in the United States.
(b) Public Comment.--The Task Force shall publish in the Federal
Register a notice for a public comment period of 90 days on the purpose
and activities of the Task Force.
(c) Report.--Not later than the date on which the Task Force
terminates, the Task Force shall submit to the Committee on Banking,
Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Finance of the Senate
and the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Ways and
Means of the House of Representatives and make publicly available a
final report that--
(1) contains the information, evaluations, and
recommendations described in subsection (a); and
(2) is signed by each member of the Task Force.
SEC. 6. POWERS OF TASK FORCE.
(a) Hearings.--The Task Force may hold such hearings, take such
testimony, and receive such evidence as the Task Force considers
advisable to carry out this Act.
(b) Information From Federal Agencies.--
(1) In general.--The Task Force may secure directly from
any Federal department or agency such information as the Task
Force considers necessary to carry out this Act.
(2) Furnishing information.--On request of the co-chairs of
the Task Force, the head of a Federal department or agency
described in paragraph (1) shall furnish the information to the
Task Force.
(c) Postal Services.--The Task Force may use the United States
mails in the same manner and under the same conditions as other Federal
departments and agencies.
SEC. 7. TERMINATION OF TASK FORCE.
The Task Force shall terminate not later than 2 years after the
date on which all members of the Task Force are appointed under section
4.
SEC. 8. FUNDING.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this Act for fiscal years 2027 through 2030.
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